2005 “The Dukes of Hazzard”/ 1969 Dodge Charger

The 1969 Dodge Charger seen in a 2005 comedy film “The Dukes of Hazzard” is truly an American Legend. This car is also known as General Lee. However most fans simply refer to the vehicle by its stage name “The General Lee.” Sometimes referred to as simply “the General”.

In fact, this 1969 Dodge Charger could possibly hold the title of the most famous movie car of all time. Of course, there wasn’t just one General Lee. Reportedly two dozens 1968 to 1970 Chargers were used for “The Dukes of Hazzard” however most of them never survived the stunt filled film. Others were cut open so that movie cameras could film from within. The end result is a very rare and awe inspiring vehicle that is sure to relive the adventures of Bo and Luke Duke eluding authorities and saving the family farm.

The General Lee used in the 2005 movie has features that were not found in the TV series. Unlike the television show era Lees, the movie cars used aftermarket graphic kits. The movie gave them new credibility and is no longer considered to be an inaccurate choice. Otherwise, except for the white letters on the Goodrich “Radial T/A” tires, the exterior of the movie’s “close-up” General Lees varied little from the television show cars. The paint was “Hemi Orange” (an American Motors Corporation color) rather than Corvette “Flame Red”.

The interior headliner was black instead of tan, an actual roll cage was used; a three-spoke Grant wood-trimmed steering wheel replaced the standard wheel, an AM/FM stereo radio with Compact Disc player was installed in the dashboard; and the interiors were a custom color vinyl fabric made to look like the dye/paint used in the later eras of the TV show. One still can differentiate the 1968 Dodge Chargers by looking at the dash pad, but now 1970 Chargers were thrown in the mix. The cars somewhat resembled a late 1990s to early 2000s (decade) General Lee clone, but the overall flavor of the General Lee is still obvious. On all of the cars, the back-up lights and side marker lenses were removed, the openings filled in.